German Patent Application DE 11 99 773 describes the preparation of 6-methyl-8,9-methylenedioxy-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,10b-octahydrophenanthridine, which should have analgesic, antiinflammatory and anti-pyretic properties. In the Indian Journal of Chemistry 7, 1969, 674-677 the preparation of ethyl 1,2,3,4,4a,10a-hexahydrophenanthridine-6-butyrate is described.